Prisoner assaults four prison staff members

The Minnesota Department of Corrections is investigating an assault of prison staff staff members Wednesday at the Stillwater prison, according to DOC officials.

A correctional officer and food service employee were treated and released from a hospital following the incident, a DOC news release said. Two other employees received minor injuries in the incident.

According to DOC officials, the altercation occurred in the prison’s food service area when a prisoner approached the four individuals with a complaint, then attacked them without warning. Additional corrections officers were sent to the scene and the prisoner was taken into custody.

The incident remains under investigation and additional details were not available, DOC officials said.

When the DOC investigation is finished, information will be sent to the Washington County Attorney’s Office, which will decide if criminal charges should be filed against the prisoner.

Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy said that the incident underscores the danger of working in corrections.

“We have been working very hard to make sure that our staff has the training and the tools they need to respond when incidents like this occur.” he said.

He added that the DOC continues to work on training employees to work better wtih prisoners who may have mental health issues and helps staff recognize and defuse potentially violent situations before use of force is needed.